Musical string instrument



June 13, 1939. Q V|RZ| MUSICAL STRING INSTRUMENT Filed Aug. 11, 1938/ENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,162,595 MUSICAL STRINGINSTRUMENT Giuseppe Virz,

Application August 11,

5 Claims.

This invention relates to musical string instruments, and has among itsobjects the provision strument.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thenature set forth having improved means whereby the bridge post can exertvarying degrees of relatively cushioned pressure or a relatively hardpressure, as desired, for dierent sound eiects.

Another object is to provide a string instrument having a post at thebridge provided with cushioning portions of the latter.

Another object of the invention is to provide an instrument of thenature set forth having improved peg means forcontrolling the stringtension of the instrument in an improved cushioned manner to permit freesounding but without a deadening eifect on the instrument.

A further object of the invention is to furnish a device of the typealluded to having few and simple parts and which is inexpensive tomanufacture and assemble, and durable, reliable and eilicient to a highdegree in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthespecification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in View, the invention consists in the novelcombinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in theirpreferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, andillustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated bythe same referencevcharacters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a violin showing a device embodying theinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view thereof taken on theline 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view with parts in elevationshowing a bridge post device embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 4 is a smaller fragmentary vview of the bridge post devicein adifferent position for exerting a hard pressure..A

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of ment of modified construction.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a peg element according to the invention.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized whenall of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and thesame structure, bua-useful devices may be produced embodying less thanthe Whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to a bridge post ele- NewYork, N. Y.

1938, Serial No. 224,245 (Cl. 84-277) which the invention appertains,that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions.The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing thepreferred exemplication of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, I0 denotes a string instrument suchas a violin embodying the invention. The same may include the usualsounding chamber II, neck I2, strings I3, secured by the tail piece I4,held in place by a peg I5, and the strings being adjustably tensioned bythe pegs I6 of the neck. The strings I3 extend over a bridge piece Il'that rests on the upper wall I8 of the instrument body II, which upperwall is furnished with sound openings I9. Between the upper and lowerwalls I8, 20 of the body II, and supporting the former to take up thepressure of the bridge Il is a post 2I embodying the invention.

The post 2I may be in the nature of an adjustably expandible device suchas a turnbuckle. For example, it may include a tube 22, perforated at 23for engagement by a screw or wire to rotate the tube 22 through a soundopening I9 in order to adjust the turnbuckle. Extending from the tube 22are alined rightand left-hand screw portions 24. Engaging the latter arethe heads 25 which are thus moved toward or away from each other onoperating the turnbuckle.

Each of the heads 25 may be provided with a cushioning element 26 whichimparts the pressure of the post 2| on the adjacent wall of the soundchamber II, and serves to yieldingly support the same but withoutdeadening the vibra- 1tions of the sound chamber. For this purpose theelements 26 may consist of a ne grained leather, cork, fabric, orrubber, although I prefer to use cork. The latter may be suitablyimpregnated with an adhesive to moderate or otherwise control itsyielding qualities. The pressure face of the element 26 may be coveredwith a member 21 of a fine sheet material such as leather or a textilefabric to prevent any crumbling of the cork.

Preferably the element 26 is of generally co- Anoidal shape and is setinto an opening 28 of generally similar shape. The purpose of thisarrangement is to permit the yielding element 26 to be wedged into theopening 28 to a degree according to the increased pressure to which thepost 2I is subjected. As the maximum pressure is approached, the element26 is substantially entirely received in the opening 28 so that thewooden head 25 begins to contact or bear on the adjacent wall of thesound chamber as shown in Fig. 4, thereby affecting the vibratoryqualities thereof, Such direct pressure of the heads 25 may be varied asdesired. Upon relieving the pressure the cushioning elements 26 may moveslightly outward of the openings 28.

It will be appreciated that the wooden sound chamber of a musicalinstrument is subjected to considerable stress due to various causesincluding temperature and humidity. Since the cuter surface of the soundchamber is covered. with varnish whereas the inner surface is not, thelatter is readily influenced by climatic conditions, and hence theconditions at the different 1 surfaces cause various slight bending andother stresses. Thus the musician may make adjustments to suit, not onlyas to temperature and humidity, but also with respect to the differentvibratory and tonal effects that may be required from time to time.

The practicability of the invention resides to a large degree in thefact that the post 2I` can be easily adjusted, and can be removed andreplaced, all through the openings I9. In fact, this is the accepted wayof periodically replacing bridge posts, in all violins. Certainmusicians have the necessary tools for performing these operationswithout requiring the services of a violin mechanic. By using aturnbuckle, I have found that the adjustment is easily effected becausethe heads 25 will not turn. Any turning of these heads would result inlateral movement of the post 2| because the latter bears on inclinedportions of the walls I8, 20 as shown in Fig. 2. The cushioning materialis also of advantage in this respect because it grips the walls I8, 2i?of the violin body so as to resist any tendency to turning.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modified head 29Vwhich may be substituted for oneor both of the heads Z5. The same may have a conoidal cushioning element3c mounted like that at 26, but having an integral pad portion SI havinga covering-Z like that at 2,1. This pad portion overlies-the wooden head29 and may be flat, but ispreferably convexed so that the central area,supported by the part 35 has the most resilience. As the post pressureincreases, the portion 3l` comes into play to assume a large part of thestress', whereby varying cushioning effects may be produced.

In Fig. 6 is shown the peg I5 which affords a suitable limited degree ofresilience or yielding quality under the constraint of the pegstructure. Thus the latter includes a head 33 groovedv a-t Eil toreceive a strand for attachment to the member Ill. Said head may have aconoidal stem 35, which receives a conoidal sleeve 3610i a cushioningmaterial of the kind hereinbefore mentioned. Tightly tted over thesleeve 36 is a metallic sleeve member 31 having an annular portion 33spun inward into a groove 3 9- ofthe stem. Between the portion 39 and awall 6!) of the groove is a ring washer 4Iy of a cushioning material ofthe type hereinbefore set'Y forth. The external surface of the sleeve3.1 maybe knurled or longitudinally grooved so as to be frictionallyengaged with the violin body I I when the sleeve 31 is forced into anopening thereof. Thus it is seen that the peg head 33 is wholly out ofdirect contact with the violin body and is in cushioned engagement withthe same, the cushioning elements being under compression, particularlythe former.

It will be understood that the pegs IG- may be constructed like that atI5, except that the sleeve 31 would be externally smooth for easyrotation and would besuiiiciently long for proper mounting thereof andfor receiving the strands I3'.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a musical string instrumentwhich is free sounding in the body and in the mounting of the vibratingstrands, and which fulfills the objects of the invention and is welladapted for practical use I claim: 1. Al device including a sound postfor the sounding box of a musical string instrument, the sound postcomprising end heads and an intermediate turnbuckle for adjusting thelength of the post, at least one head of the post having an axialinwardly tapered opening, said head having an element of generallyporous elastic material wedged into said opening and projecting axiallyout of the opening to bear against an adjacent wall of the sounding box,the relative sizes of the element and said opening being such that theelement is yieldingly movable inward and outward of said opening uponincreasing and decreasing the pressure on the 2. A device including asound post for the sounding box of a musical string instrument, thesound post comprising end heads and an intermediate turnbuckle foradjusting the length of the post, at least one head of the post havingan axial inwardly tapered opening, said head having an element ofgenerally porous elastic material wedged into said opening andprojecting axially out of the opening to bear against an adjacent wallofthe sounding box, said element being yieldingly movable intosaidopening with constantly increasing resistance upon increasing thepressure to which the element is subjected, and the depthof the saidopening and length of' said eleme t being relatively such that theelement is substantially entirely movable into the opening so that theouter end faces of the element and its end are-substantially flush topermit the head to directly contact the wall of the sounding box.

3; A device including a post for the bridge section of a musical stringinstrument, said post being adjustable in length and having an endportion having an axial inwardly tapered bore,

and a correspondingly tapered element of a gen- A.

erally porous resilient cushioning material, said element beingset intosaid bore with. its outer end projecting from the bore' beyond the endportion of the post, said element bei-ng adapted to` be wedgi-ngly movedinward of the bore upon increasing the pressure to which the element issubjected with the element bearing against 'a walI of the sounding box.

4. A device including a post for the bridge section of a musical stringinstrument, said post being adjustable in length and having an endportion having anaxial inwardly tapered bore, and a correspondinglyAtapered element-oi a generally porousn resilient cushioning material,said element beingk set intosai'df' bore` with its outer end projectingfrom the bore beyond the end portion of the post, sadlelementi beingadapted to be wedgingly moved inward of the bore upon increasing thepressurev towhich the elementis subjected with the element bearingagainst a wall of the sounding box, and the bore having sumcient size tosubstantially wholly receive the element under .high pressure, so thatboth the element and the end portion of.' the post make contact with thesaid; wall;

5i A device: according.; to cla-imr 3;. wherein said material consists;of finely grained cork impregnated withV an. adhesive.

. GIUSEPPE VIRZI..

element.

